From European concert halls to the scenic Central West

From the concert halls of Europe to the scenic Central West, violinist Lisa Stewart and violist Stefan Duwe are happy to now call Orange home.

When Lisa Stewart was just five years old, she remembers being moved to tears by a piece of music. It was the Khachaturian Violin Concerto and you could say that single piece of music altered the course of her life.

Her affinity for the music led her mother to enrol her in violin classes, which she took to with abandon. Then, 14 years later, Lisa played that very same Violin Concerto and won herself the chance to study under Igor Ozim in Germany, where she would meet her husband Stefan.

“We met in the Cologne Chamber Orchestra,” said Stefan, who first started playing the violin at age seven before moving to the viola at the encouragement of his teacher.

“My teacher said, ‘Hey you! Here, try that… and I never looked back,” laughed Stefan.

Stefan and Lisa were both experienced professional musicians when they met and the pair have performed and toured all over Europe.

Stefan credits include working with the Cologne Chamber Orchestra, Theatre Nordhausen, Folkwang Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Hungarica, Philharmonie Essen, Düsseldorfer Sinfoniker and Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen.

While Lisa’s highlights include recording French sonatas for the Klavins Music label, Bach concertos on the Naxos label, performing with Concerto Cologne, Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, West German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, and London Philharmonic Orchestra under Bernard Haitink.

It was an invitation for Lisa to trial for Concertmaster for the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra that saw Lisa, Stefan and their young daughter return to Australia in 2001.

“In the end, thank God she didn't get it, because it is a very highly stressful sort of job,” said Stefan. “But we decided to stay in Sydney — I think Lisa always missed the light. because in Germany there's winter for six months and it is just grey and miserable.”

Since moving to Australia, Lisa and Stefan have played with some of Australia’s top orchestras, but nine years ago they formed the now renowned Acacia String Quartet with violinist Myee Clohessy and Ann Martin-Scrase.

It is the quartet that has kept Stefan’s love for performing alive, he said.

“The viola doesn't get better than playing in a quartet,” said Stephan. “Orchestras are wonderful, but they are very hierarchical. You just sort of sit in the orchestra, sit in your section and blend in, you can't have any input, you do as you're told.

“I think for us, or for a lot of string players, playing in a string quartet is kind of the pinnacle, because the repertoire is just endless.”

“Yes,” agreed Lisa. “We play a lot of new composers’ music and that's great for us, so we could never get through the whole quartet repertoire in our lives.’

It was while performing with the Acacia Quartet in Orange last year, that Stefan and Lisa decided they could call the Central West home.

And it has been a move they have not regretted.

“I think Stefan was insightful to realise we have more opportunities here,” said Lisa, who has been overwhelmed by the welcome they have received by staff and students at the Orange Regional Conservatorium.

“We teach Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and help the ensemble, tutor —whatever. We enjoy it.”

“We seem to enjoy any sort of educational activity more and more,” said Stefan

“Yeah, I think the older you get, you are ready to teach,” said Lisa, “because you have done all the touring and played all over the world and recordings and so it is time.”

To hear Stefan, Lisa and the magnificent Acacia Quartet perform, visit www.acaciaquartet.com